I can vividly remember the stress of waiting for the hireback decisions at McCarthy Tétrault LLP. I had been working my butt off for 10 months — of course I wanted the job. And happily, I got it. But looking back, I think focusing solely on hireback is the wrong approach. My advice, with the advantage of hindsight, is to focus on learning as much as you possibly can while you’re there, both when summering and articling. Law is a skills-based profession. Spend your articling hours becoming a talented lawyer so your future doesn’t hinge on getting hired back — especially since a lot of what factors in to hireback decisions (like the economy) is beyond your control.

Follow these tips to make the most of your time at the firm. They might give you the edge you need to land the job.

Follow up

Don’t write a research memo and disappear. Check in a week later to see if the lawyer needs more help with the file. You get to show your initiative and you benefit from seeing the course of a file from start to finish.

Take the next step

Former articling student Sapna Thakker scored major bonus points (and got hired back, by the way) after she wrote me a research memo and, afterwards, asked if she could write the client memo that applied her research to the facts of the case.

Run blacklines

I still compare my documents to the edited drafts, to see the changes other lawyers make. Students should too. If you don’t understand why a senior lawyer made a change, stop by her office to ask. If there are a lot of changes, print two copies and ask the lawyer to coffee to discuss.

Be helpful

Feel free to leave the office once you’ve finished everything asked of you on a case, but swing by the assigning lawyer’s office before you go to see if there’s anything else you can help with. Sometimes, the best learning opportunities come late at night.